Preview: UFC 183 ‘Silva vs. Diaz’

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WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHTS

Miesha Tate (15-5, 2-2 UFC) vs. Sara McMann (8-1, 2-1 UFC): Olympic silver medalist McMann rebounded from a brutal loss to queenpin Ronda Rousey with a win over Lauren Murphy. She gets a stiff test in divisional mainstay Tate, who has strung together a pair of wins since her own loss to Rousey. McMann is first and foremost a physically imposing wrestler with an ultra-quick shot and a variety of chained finishes for her powerful takedowns, though she can throw the occasional kick and a solid 1-2 to cover her entries. Once her opponent hits the ground, McMann goes to work with grinding, stifling control from the top, though she offers little as a finishing threat. Tate is a little more diverse, with decent combination striking, effective wrestling and the threat of the submission on the ground, but she is not particularly athletic and has little in the way of power on the feet. Barring major improvements in Tate’s takedown defense, this is McMann’s fight to lose. McMann by grinding, top-control decision is the pick.

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Ed Herman (22-10, 9-6 UFC) vs. Derek Brunson (12-3, 3-1 UFC): Coming off a grinding decision win over Lorenz Larkin in August, Brunson gets an intriguing matchup in aggressive veteran Herman. Brunson, a product of Jackson-Wink MMA, is an excellent athlete and powerful wrestler with a decent southpaw kickboxing game, but he has yet to put it all together into a coherent whole. Herman is a throwback wrestle-grappler with dangerous submissions and a solid clinch game, but his range striking is and always has been a liability. Given that Herman is one of the slowest fighters in the UFC, Brunson will hold a ridiculous edge in speed and athleticism, and he should be able to grind it out with takedowns and range striking; however, he will probably have to fight out of a submission attempt or two along the way. The pick is Brunson by decision.

FLYWEIGHTS

Ian McCall (13-4-1, 2-2-1 UFC) vs. John Lineker (24-7, 5-2 UFC): Granite-fisted puncher Lineker will finally get his crack at McCall after a late illness forced the cancellation of their fight in November. Lineker is a throwback sprawl-and-brawler with dynamite in his hands, an iron chin and a propensity for throwing long, brutal head-body punching combinations. McCall can do a bit of everything, with a nice movement-based striking game, strong takedowns and good control on the ground. If he chooses to wrestle, the fight favors McCall, but he has rarely been able to avoid the allure of a quick-paced brawl. The pick here is Lineker by decision in a back-and-forth scrap.

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Rafael Natal (18-6-1, 6-4-1 UFC) vs. Tom Watson (17-7; 2-3 UFC): Two mid-tier middleweights meet in a potentially fun matchup. Natal took a contentious decision from Chris Camozzi in September, while Watson won a close fight with Sam Alvey to snap a two-fight losing streak. Natal is a fairly limited but relentless and skilled wrestle-grappler with a suffocating top game, and he uses his winging punches nicely to set up his level changes and shot takedowns. Watson has struggled to stuff takedowns during his time in the promotion, and he has had trouble getting his volume range striking and nasty clinch game under way without fear of ending up on his back. Unless Watson has made massive strides in his defensive wrestling, the Brazilian should have little trouble planting Watson on his back. The pick is Natal by close decision.

FEATHERWEIGHTS

Diego Brandao (18-10, 4-3 UFC) vs. Jim Hettes (11-2, 3-2 UFC): “The Ultimate Fighter 14” winner Brandao draws tough grappler Hettes in a great featherweight matchup. Brandao was on a nice three-fight winning streak, but he has since suffered consecutive first-round knockout losses to top featherweights Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor; Hettes, meanwhile, was stopped by Dennis Bermudez in an uncompetitive outing in March. Brandao is well-rounded, athletic and dangerous everywhere, with power in his winging shots on the feet, technical shot takedowns and finishing skills from both his guard and top position. With that said, he lacks cardio and is defensively suspect. Hettes is a wrestle-grappler with excellent trips and throws from the clinch, a suffocating top game and an array of submissions on the mat, but he has yet to develop much in the way of striking skills. This should be a fun scrap. While Brandao will likely put his hands on Hettes early, the American is durable; and if he survives the early storm, he should put it on Brandao late. The pick is Hettes by decision.

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Richardson Moreira (7-2, 0-1 UFC) vs. Ildemar Alcantara (20-7, 3-2 UFC): “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3” semifinalist Moreira draws Alcantara, who moves up to middleweight following a four-fight campaign at 170 pounds. Moreira is a physical specimen with great speed but a limited gas tank. More relentless than technical as a wrestler and raw striking at range, he excels at dirty boxing in the clinch but does his best work hunting for submissions from top position. Alcantara is reasonably well-rounded, with solid takedowns, a limited but effective game at range and an aptitude for control on the ground. Moreira will have a massive athletic advantage, and if he can get Alcantara to the mat, he should be able to beat him up from the top and eventually get to a dominant position. The pick is Moreira by submission in the first round.

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Thiago Santos (9-3, 1-2 UFC) vs. Andy Enz (7-2, 0-2 UFC): Alaska’s Enz draws Santos in the show’s curtain-jerker. Santos is a talented muay Thai and capoeira specialist with awesome power in his kicks, which he throws to all levels. He also possesses some pop in his hands, although he could stand to work a bit faster. Enz has some submission skills on the ground, though he has mostly utilized his high-volume kickboxing game in his two UFC outings. Unless Enz has made huge strides in his wrestling, this will probably transpire on the feet, where Santos’ low-kicking game comes into play against the Alaskan’s volume. The pick here is Santos by decision.